Over the past few Secret Lair Superdrops, MTG players have gotten rather used to financial disappointment. Gone are the days when the vast majority of Secret Lairs would offer incredible reprints and amazing value for money. Thankfully, while new expected trends may have set in, there’s still room for a value-rich diamond in the rough.
Announced today during the latest WeeklyMTG livestream, the upcoming Pixel Perfect Secret Lair drop offers a fantastic bounty of reprints. In total, this drop contains just over $53 of value, which is amazing for the $39.99 asking price. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, this Secret Lair drop fixes one of the most frustrating issues with the sub-brand.
On top of all that, there are extra Extra Life goodies to support charity too!
Pixel Perfect in Name and Nature
As you can see above, the Pixel Perfect Secret Lair drop will be released next Monday, October 14th. This sale is set to last for one month, and players won’t have to worry about it selling out in that time. This is fantastic news for anyone who is already enamored with either the financial value or the absolutely adorable art.
Themed around Fblthp going on a courageous retro-inspired adventure against Nicol Bolas, this Secret Lair is relentlessly charming. Each card looks like it’s been taken right out of a decades-old video game in the best way possible. The nod to having Ajani in the text box, as if he’s reading the card text, is a real treat too.
Speaking of treats, the reprint of Fierce Guardianship is exactly that, as this card is seriously expensive. Last seen in Commander Masters, this card is aptly a Commander staple that can be played for free. Unsurprisingly, a free noncreature counterspell that only needs your Commander in play is seriously popular.
Since copies of Fierce Guardianship typically sell for $37, it’s also seriously expensive. The same is also true for Delayed Blast Fireball, albeit to a lesser extent. Priced at $13, this card is no slouch by any means, even if it’s not the best of the bunch.
From here, prices fall off rather quickly, as Mana Geyser is worth closer to $2.50. Below this, Lightning Bolt can be picked up for $0.50. While this may seem woefully low past Secret Lair copies of Lightning Bolt sell for around $3, which is better.
Overall, whether you’re in it for the value, art, or the fact it supports charity, Pixel Perfect looks like a fantastic Secret Lair drop.
The Best of Both Worlds
Not only does this Extra Life Secret Lair offer amazing value alongside fantastic art, but it also fixes an incredibly frustrating problem. Since the start of 2024, Wizards has made almost every Secret Lair drop limited-run. This has caused desirable Secret Lair drops to routinely sell out worryingly quickly which has been incredibly frustrating.
Thankfully, for the Pixel Perfect | Extra Life 2024 drop, Wizards of the Coast has fixed this issue. As we’ve long been suggesting, this drop will be both limited-run and print-to-demand. This means many copies of this drop have been pre-printed and are ready to ship at a moment’s notice. Once this supply runs out, Wizards will switch to a print-to-demand model, allowing everyone to get their fill.
Considering the Pixel Perfect drop supports the Extra Life charity, this decision isn’t a monumental surprise. After all, the Sheldon’s Spellbook Secret Lair was also print-to-demand since it supported charity. Unsurprisingly, Wizards doesn’t want to limit players’ generosity, which feels like the right thing to do.
Right now, there’s no telling whether or not this printing method will continue after the Extra Life 2024 drop. Given it seems to solve the major frustration with Secret Lair drops right now, we certainly hope it does. At the moment, however, we’re just going to have to wait and see what happens in the future.
Extra Extra Life Goodies
While the new Secret Lair drop is definitely exciting enough on its own, Wizards isn’t calling it quits there. On the Extra Life shop, MTG players can pick up a shirt, playmat, pin, and sticker should they wish. As with the Secret Lair drop, sales of these products will help to support the Extra Life charity.
If you’re not after physical apparel and accessories, Wizards of the Coast also has you covered. Over on MTG Arena, Wizards has created a trio of cosmetics to celebrate the Secret Lair and support Extra Life. In total, three sleeves and one avatar will be available for either 1,100 gems or 600 gems. As with the other products, sales of these cosmetics will go toward Extra Life.
Overall, there’s a lot to love about this upcoming Secret Lair drop, no matter where or how you play MTG. If you ask us, the art is fantastic, especially the MTG Arena cosmetics which we’re already enamored with. Having amazing value from a widely available Secret Lair drop as well is the real icing on the cake.
Read More: Unexpected MTG Secret Lair Bucks Worrying Sales Trend
